


The Embodiment Of A Safeplace

by Lyrahku



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Universe, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Lance being an absolute sweetheart, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 00:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15400701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrahku/pseuds/Lyrahku
Summary: After his mission with The Blade Of Marmora, Keith feels like a letdown for not having been there when his comrades needed him the most. But he finds a safeplace in his close friend, Lance, who refuses to give up on him.





	The Embodiment Of A Safeplace

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write some Klance for a long time already; now that season 7 spoilers leaked I thought it might be a good time to cheer my fellow shippers up. Hope you enjoy the fluff. ~

# The Embodiment Of A Safeplace

There are countless possible situations in life that can make a person unhappy or confused, innumerable circumstances that leave a human being cheerless, pushed down by the weight of sorrow, regret and disappointment. With an amount of said possibilities as untold as the stars in the universe, it was hard to tell which one was the worst.  
What was it? Questioning who you are and what purpose you have in life? Feeling as if you are not good enough and no matter how hard you try, you won‘t fit in? Realising you keep detaching yourself from those you try to cling to so desperately?  
For Keith it was knowing that he had disappointed his comrades, several times. Having let them down when they counted on him left him staring at his own reflection in the glass of the spaceship’s window with tormenting remorse. This was it, this was the worst.

His brain kept recalling the memory of his mission with the Blade of Marmora and mixed it with the imagination of his friends trying to call him, reaching out to him for help.  
„Keith! Keith, where are you? We need you!“  
But they got no response. Because he was busy; too busy to make them a priority, leaving them behind without the Black Lion, without a leader… What would have happened if Shiro wouldn‘t have been there?  
His vision got blurry as his dark eyes began to burn, tears causing the obsidian black of the infinite space outside and the altean blue lights from inside his room to intertwine before he quickly brushed them away with the back of his hand. He did not allow himself to be weak, not now… not ever.  
With a knot in his stomach that felt like a rock, he clearly remembered how the members of Voltron had looked at him as he had walked through the door. He heard Allura‘s words echoing in his had, that he always talked and apologised but never acted on it; he thought how right she was with a painful feeling of self-hatred building up inside of him, until something made him snap out of his dark thoughts.

 

The former red paladin winced as he heard a sudden knock on the door, followed by an insecure, barely audible „Keith?... Are you there?“  
It was Lance‘s warm voice crawling through the barrier between them, but Keith did not respond. How could he? He felt himself unable to speak, paralysed as he stared at the windowpane, where a pair of onyx eyes gazed right back to him, even into him. All he saw was a young man he considered the embodiment of a letdown.

„Buddy?...“  
The blue paladin didn‘t give up, his voice growing softer and yet heavier with worry each time he called out for his friend; carefully, as if he could break something with each word that escaped his lips.  
Keith let out a sigh and closed his eyes, the figure in front of him, together with the endless space and the altean blue room disappeared in darkness as he finally reacted.  
„Leave it be, Lance. I‘d like to be alone,“ was what he forced his body to say, but his soul was screaming _„Please tell me that I am still accepted, that I still belong here, that I am forgiven. Tell me I am more than my mistakes, more than a disappointment. Don’t leave me alone, come closer.“_  
Lance was not a magician, nor a mindreader, but he was a real friend and a caring human being, which let him to ignore his comrade‘s rejection by some kind of inherent instinct as he opened the door and stepped in without giving two damns about asking for permission first.

Looking in the direction of the door, Keith automatically clenched his fists, his body switching to something that worked like a defense mode; not to protect himself, but to protect his secret; his weakness, his flaws. To keep it locked away like some sort of treasure, inaccessible to everyone around him.  
„Seriously, Lance, please leave me alone,“ the red paladin almost whispered, his eyes now fixed on the shiny floor as his friend came closer step by step.  
„Keith….“ the softness of the blue paladin‘s voice hit the other harder than any fist ever could, it was too much to handle in his already vulnerable state, so he quickly turned around as he felt the burning liquid rising again behind his long lashes in an attempt to hide his feelings. The half-Galra had always been an emotional person, driven by instinct, often hotheaded, but in the end simply following his heart; and right now this said heart was bleeding, desperately crying out for a remedy and Keith had no chance to fight it.

Without saying another word, Lance put his hand on his friend‘s shoulder, feeling the trained body tense as he just let it rest there, not moving, not speaking. It took a while but the red paladin eventually relaxed and got his tears under control, focusing on the soothing effect of the touch.  
„I‘m sorry, Lance… I am so sorry..“  
Instead of replying instantly, the Cuban caressed Keith‘s shoulder with his thumb to give him a sign that he understood his words and to comfort him, while at the same time giving his friend a chance to say everything that was on his heart. Afraid that he would interrupt his already distant comrade, he remained silent.  
„I… I messed up so badly. I always mess up!“  
These words brimmed with pain as his voice grew louder during the second part, trembling as he gritted his teeth.

„Keith…“  
There it was again. The way Lance said his name, so softly, so caring, so warm, it felt like a blanket made of silk, wrapping him up into a warm, cozy state of mind as the blue paladin continued to talk:  
„You know how often I mess up? I know best how you feel, man… I‘m an expert in messing up and I can tell you that it’s never the end when it feels like it.“  
Coming one step closer, he positioned himself right next to his friend, looking at him as said one‘s obsidian eyes were still pinned on the ground with a tired, exhausted gaze, his eyelids heavy from fighting back tears.  
„I‘m with you, okay? And so are the others. You are one of us, you always were and you always will be. We won‘t give up on you!“ he said, with every word his voice grew more determined, catching fire as he spoke and inflaming his whole soul.  
This energy made Keith rise his head and meet the sapphires that were focused on him, searching for a sign that he only said that so the red paladin would stop acting up, but all he could find was pure affection and sincere caring.  
Looking straight into Keith‘s eyes, Lance‘s grip on his shoulder tightened as he repeated those words that were so important to the black haired one.  
„We will not give up on you! Shiro will not give up on you. And I will not give up on you either, I‘ve got you, buddy, I promise. It‘s going to be alright…“  
When people say things like that, it usually felt contrived, the embodiment of a cliché, but coming out of the blue paladin‘s mouth, every word was full of sincerity. Moreover, it was exactly what the other needed.

Silence.  
None of the paladins dared to say something as they just stood next to each other, Lance‘s palm still resting on Keith‘s shoulder as the latter put his own hand on top of it, an action that spoke louder than words. The half-Galra didn‘t need to open his mouth for a „Thank you“ for his comrade to understand the gratitude he carried in his soul at this very moment. Maybe it was thanks to their training as Team Voltron that they had such a strong bond, maybe it went beyond that.

After a few more heartbeats in quiet company, a sudden thought struck Lance and his eyes gleamed like the surface of the ocean on a sunny day as he removed his hand from his friend‘s shoulder in order to grab his wrist and pull him along.  
„I have an idea!“ he exclaimed overly excited as he headed towards the door, dragging Keith with him.  
„Oh no…,“ the red paladin mumbled as he looked at the other with a perplexed gaze. Not entirely resisting, he followed the other, trusting him since his only alternative seemed to be staring out of his window for the next couple of hours.  
Relief filled his tense body as he realised along the way that Lance did not intend to bring him to the others but to his own room instead. As soon as the door opened, the two paladins were greeted by a huge mess: comics on the floor, some plates on the desk and clothes everywhere.  
A moment of awkward silence stood between them as Keith peeked at his friend, who started to make his way through the chaos towards the TV with the words „Wow, I thought I had cleaned up; must have been a dream.“  
With his words sounding so dry and honestly confused, the red paladin couldn‘t help but smile softly as he tried to follow the other without stumbling over the mountains of fabric on the floor.

„Did you bring me here to clean your room?“ Keith asked as he grabbed one of his comrade‘s blue lion slippers and placed it next to the other in front of the messy bed.  
„Not a bad idea, feel free!“ Lance hummed before a folded pair of socks hit the back of his head.  
„-Aahh, dude! I invite you to my room and you attack me from behind?!“ he complained, which made Keith giggle for the first time in what felt like ages.  
Finally turning on the TV and his game console, the blue paladin offered his guest to make himself comfortable on the blanket in front of the screen as he placed two controllers there.  
Without any comment, Keith sat down and looked at the device with confused eyes. He honestly wasn‘t into these games as he considered them childish for the most part, but right now he was simply glad not to be alone with his thoughts, even if he did not like to admit that, neither to himself nor in front of Lance. _Especially_ not in front of Lance.

Joining Keith on the floor, the blue paladin placed a package of cookies between them, taking two before putting both into his own mouth.  
„Help yourself,“ he mumbled with stuffed cheeks, looking absolutely adorable with crumbs on his soft lips, which made the dark haired paladin smile as he grabbed one for himself.  
„Whoa! They are nice! Where did you get them?!“ he asked with eyes widened in excitement. Never had chocolate tasted this good.  
„Earth store,“ the host explained, covering his mouth with his palm so Keith didn‘t have to see the mash inside it. So that was why he had been trying to come up with reasons to go there until he managed to convince Coran to drop by; sneaky, the red paladin thought.  
„But don‘t tell Hunk!“ Lance added after he swallowed.  
Chuckling, his friend punched his shoulder in a teasing way.  
„I‘ll think about that. So you better be nice.“

With both of them laughing wholeheartedly now, all the heavy thoughts had left Keith‘s mind, falling off his shoulders like the crushing gravity of a black hole drowned in an ocean of support and comfort.  
As a comfortable silence took back over the room, with the echo of happiness slowly fading, the two friends looked at each other, gentle smiles adorning their faces.

„Thank you, Lance…“  
It was Keith‘s voice that eventually filled the room, lingering in Lance‘s ears long after it had faded. Their eyes were still pinned on each other, obsidian meeting sapphire, not letting go as their faces slowly approached each other until the tips of their noses touched.  
Guardedly pressing his forehead against Keith‘s, it was now Lance‘s turn to raise his voice in a shy whisper.  
„If I‘d kiss you now…. would you tell Hunk about the cookies?“  
Chuckling again for a second, the red paladin could not stop himself from placing his palm on his friend‘s cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb, before he closed the tiny gap between them himself.  
Lance tasted like chocolate cookies and felt like home; he was the embodiment of a safeplace to Keith, his anchor when storms of dark thoughts were roaring inside his head, troubling his mind; a pair of wings when self doubt dragged him down.

After what felt like an eternity to both, their lips slowly parted and their eyes opened again, carefully, as if they could ruin the magic of the moment if they returned to reality too fast.  
„W- Was that so you don‘t have to play video games with me?“ Lance asked with innocent insecurity. Once more it was the red paladin who giggled in amusement.  
„Eager to get your ass kicked? Of course we can play, bring it on.“  
All uncertainty vanishing from the Cuban‘s face, he smirked as he grabbed his controller and pressed the power button to start the car race game he had inside the console.  
„Okay, buddy, you asked for it!“ he said with a sly grin on his lips.  
Laughing and determined to give his best despite never having played it before, the black haired male took the second controller, his gaze focused on the screen.

Before they finally started, the Cuban couldn‘t help but peek at his comrade.  
„Uhm, Keith?“  
„Yeah?“ Dark eyes skipped back to the blue paladin.  
„If I win, can I kiss you again?“ he asked with a barely visible blush decorating his cheeks.  
Keith‘s lips curved in a provocative smile.  
„Deal.“ ~


End file.
